Fruit-jar closer.



nu. 697,68. Patmed Apr. l5, |902.

A. SMELKER.

FRUIT JAR CLOSER.

fApplcation filed Mar, 12, 1900.)

(No Mndel.)

4 INVENTOR: @Mju/Zw( B Y WJTNESSES:

- ATTORNEY.

nu: N'onms PETERS cu. Pnmnumo.. wmumau. c. c.

ArnNr OFFICE.

ANGELINE SMELKER, OF NORTIISTAR, OHIO.

FRUIT-JAR CLOSER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,681, dated April 15, 1902.

Application filed March l2, 1900. Serial No. 8,267. (No model.)

To (1f/Z wiz/0m, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, ANGELINE SMELKER, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Northstar, in the county of Darke and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Fruit-Jar Olosers; andIdo de' clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to appliances which are employed in closing and sealing the mouths of :fruit and similar jars after having been filled, and has for its object to provide means whereby the sealing may be made effectively in jars having variously-shaped grooves at the top thereof with a variety of types of sealing or joint rings, thereby economizing in material and time.

A further object is to provide a closer of this character which may be easily handled without requiring either unusual force or skill in rendering it eifective, particularly with inaccurately-formed parts.

The invention consists in anew and novel form of presser-cap or retaining-ring,whereby the sealing-ring is caused to be spread sufficiently to effect a tight joint upon uneven surfaces; and it consists, further, in the parts and combination and arrangement of part-s hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 represents a vertical central sectional view of a jar-closure constructed in accordance with myinvention; Fig. 2, an elevation view ofthe presser-cap; Fig. 3, a vertical central sectional view of a jar-neck and a lid therein, showing a sealing-ring seat or groove which is semicircular transversely; Fig. 4, a top plan View of a jar-neck and a lid, showing the annular sealing-ring seat; Fig. 5, a bottom plan view of the detachable bearing-rib; Fig. 6, a bottom plan view of a jar-lid.; Fig. 7, a view in elevation of a jar-lid; Fig. S, a vertical central sectional view of a jar-neck and a lid having a sealing-ring seat which is V-shaped in cross-section and showing the position of the scaling-ring rclativelythcreto;

Fig. 9, a fragmentary central vertical sectional View of a jar-neck and a lid having a sealing-ring seat which has a horizontal or flat bottom and nearly vertical sides, showing the sealing-ring as applied thereto; Fig. l0, a i

tive positions they occupy in use; Fig. 12, a A

perspective view of a sealing-ring which is semicylindrical in transverse section, and Fig. 13 a perspective view of a sealing-ring of the flat washer type.

In the drawings similar reference-letters throughout the several views designate similar parts.

In the manufacture of fruit-jars, on account ofrthe fact that they must be produced at a very low cost in `order to meet thevdemands of the consumer, the parts are more or less inaccurately formed, and in order to compensate for this elastic packings are designed for the purpose of forming a tight closure or sealing between the bearings of the jar neck or mouth and the lid, and heretofore the designs of the several essential parts and surfaces have been defective and objectionable, so that the devices have required either skilled manipulation or the exercise of an impracticable degree of force in order to render them in a measure successful. In the present invention these objections are overcome and in an inexpensive form of construction, as the drawings will disclose.

In the drawings, A designates the jar, and B the neck thereof, the latter having suitable devices, as threads ct, at the outside thereof, which are engaged vby corresponding threads b, formed at the interior of the lower part of the usual retaining ring or cap, by which the rubber or other elastic sealing-ring C is forced against the joint between the lid D and the neck. The upper part of the neck has an exterior straight portion j and has also an annular rim d, projecting inwardly somewhat below the top, which supports the lid D at the outer edge n thereof, and there is preferably a depending flange e extending below the line of bearing contact, although this is immaterial. lA knob f is usually formed at the top of the lid for lifting it. At the inte- IOO rior of the top of the neck above the rim d is an annular bearing-face h, preferably concave in cross-section, although it may be straight and more or less obliquely inclined, as in Figs. 8 and 9. The upper portion of the periphery of the lid is likewise provided with a similar annular bearing-face z', but disposed oppositely to the face in the neck and corresponds thereto, Whether of either of the forms indicated above, so that When the lid is placed in the neck a sealing-ring seat G is formed jointly by the neck-face h and the cover-face i, with the joint lc disposed centrally at the bottom of the seat. Thus the seat G may have either a V-shaped, a fiat, or a concave bottom in cross-section, and either vertical or sloping sides, havingeitherstraight or concave faces. These side faces and also the bottom ofthe seat or groove are, for the reason above stated, uneven, and the sides may not be parallel, so that the packing or sealing ring must be highly elastic in order to bear closely against both sides of the groove or at the joint 7c proper. Such a sealing-ring is best formed somewhat as shown in Figs. 8, 9, 11, and l2, having a semicylindrical crosssectional area, the plane face s of which is placed uppermost in use, and the curved portion in the groove. I may also employ a sealing-ring C', which is in the Well-known form of a circular plane-faced rubber Washer and of sufficient thickness to provide the necessary flexibility, or twov or more of the ordinary thin Washers may be used together.

The presser-cap E, besides having the cylindrical side portion having the threads b, projects above and over the top of the jarneck and over the circumferential edge of the lid D, as a flange m, and may, if desired, eX- tend as a disk to entirely cover and inclose the lid D. Near the top of the cap E and vadapted to bear against the straight portion j of the neck is a portion pressed inwardly in the side of the cap and forms an external annular groove Z, which is suitably milled to be engaged by a clamp or twisted cord in rotating the cap. An annular bearing-rib F, corresponding'in diameter to the groove or seat G, is formed separatelj7 with a base H, somewhat as shown in Figs. l, 5, and ll, and adapted to be slidingly engaged by the liange m, which in this case Would have a plane under face in contact with the top face fv of i the base H, which is preferably composed of glass or similar material, While the cap may be composed of such metal as zinc or a composition thereof. The rib F is designed to extend into the seat G nearly or quite to the bottom thereof, and at its extremity where it bears upon the sealing-ring it is semicircular in cross-section, or approximately so, and is adapted to force the center (taken trans versely) of the sealing-ring to the bottom of its groove andat the same time to spread the ring, so that the sides thereof are forced against the sides of the groove.

In practical use, the jar having been filled With fruit or the like, the sealin g-rin g is placed in the groove-seat G, and the presser-cap E is applied in the usual manner to the jarneck. Theseparate bearing-ribis placed upon the top of the sealing-ring before applying the cap, and the rib F bears vcentrally upon the top s of the flexible ring, as C or C, and the cap `being turned rotatively upon the threads the rib F is forced into the top of the sealing-ring until either the bottom thereof forms a tight joint `directly over the juncture 7c or the sides t and u flatten against the sides t' and h, and thereby forma tight joint. Obviously the rib F does not slide against the -sealing-ring When formed separately from the Iiange m, which may in some cases be an advantage.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

I. A jar-closer including a neck, a lid, a grooved sealing-ring seat, an annular rib extending into the grooved seat, a sealing-ring, and a presser-cap sliding rotatively upon th rib.

2. In a jar-closer, the combination of the neck, the exterior threads on the neck, the lid-support, the lid, the sealing-ring seat, the sealing-ring, the annular rib engaging the sealing-ring and frictionally retained thereby against rotation, the presser-cap sliding rotatively upon said rib, and the threads in said cap, substantially as set forth.

3. In a jar-closer, the combination of the neck, the exterior threads on the neck, the straight plain portion above said threads, the lid-support, the lid, the sealing-ring seat, the sealing-ring, the annular rib engaging the sealing-ring and frictionally retained against rotation thereby, the presser-cap sliding rotatively upon said rib, the threads in said cap, and the serrated groove in said cap above said threads, substantially as set fort-h.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ANGELINF. SMELKER.

Witnesses:

WM. C. THOMPSON, E. T. SILvIUs.

IOO

IIO 

